Still feeding 2/3rd of a bucket of barley to the pond every day. I am sure 
they would eat all I gave to them!

But I don't seem to be seeing any young duck. Is that because they come in 
at night? There are usually 15 - 25 mallard there when I go to feed 
(approx. midday) and the number has not really changed much since the 
spring.

Derry

Hello Derry,
It sounds to me like the ducks are using it as a resting pond mate, most 
ducks will flight into ponds at night to feed. The ones on yours are using 
it throughout the day which means that you could find early morning flights 
more productive than evening flights. Are they coming back in at night to 
feed or are they going elsewhere? If they're going elsewhere they're 
definitely using it as a resting/roosting pond.
Try cutting back on the food in the day time and if possible feeding it 
towards dusk instead, get them used to coming in to feed rather than to 
rest.
Hope this helps
Regards
Dave


"Derry Argue"  wrote in message 
news:Xns969680EAADEFEderryadviegundogscou@130.133.1.4...

> Still feeding 2/3rd of a bucket of barley to the pond every day. I am sure
> they would eat all I gave to them!
>
> But I don't seem to be seeing any young duck. Is that because they come in
> at night? There are usually 15 - 25 mallard there when I go to feed
> (approx. midday) and the number has not really changed much since the
> spring.
>
> Derry 

The message 
from Derry Argue  contains these words:


> Still feeding 2/3rd of a bucket of barley to the pond every day. I am sure 
> they would eat all I gave to them!


That's a good sign. It's confirmation that the birds are relaxed and at
ease with no problems from foxes. You can begin to worry when the grain
you have put out is untouched the following morning. And it *will*
happen. Nothing attracts foxes faster than feeding mallard.


> But I don't seem to be seeing any young duck. Is that because they come in 
> at night? There are usually 15 - 25 mallard there when I go to feed 
> (approx. midday) and the number has not really changed much since the 
> spring.


The earliest brood of mallard I have here are only just beginning to
stretch their wings. The primary tips haven't crossed yet and they won't
fly until they do. So I imagine it's just a shade too early yet to
expect new birds from the current season to visit your pond. Most if not
all of the birds coming to the feed will be drakes. But give it another
fortnight or so and the numbers should begin to increase.

The drakes hang around here until they begin to moult, then they bugger
off. Hen mallard that have been sitting on eggs hatch their broods and
bring the day-olds across the fields and up from the wood to the two
ponds I have in the garden.

 I'm hand feeding five wild broods here just now, the youngest being
just over a week old. She hatched twelve but we lost four today to
sparrow hawks. Now that they've found them, there will shortly be none
left. In the wild, the losses must be catastrophic.

By the way, I have some free Land Rover wheels if you want them. :-)

-- 
Kim Sawyer
Sutherland
Scotland

"Dave"  wrote in 
news:dbdhhg$rcj$1@news5.svr.pol.co.uk:


> It sounds to me like the ducks are using it as a resting pond mate, most 
> ducks will flight into ponds at night to feed. 


Yes. The daytime numbers are remarkably stable. It does vary but seems to 
stay at around 16, then rise to 14 on occasion.

But that number could not possibly get through 2/3rd of a bucket of barley 
a day, could they? I am pretty sure more come in at night.

Derry

Kim Sawyer  wrote in
news:313030303532343642DAB79448@zetnet.co.uk: 


> The message 
> from Derry Argue  contains these words:
> 
>> Still feeding 2/3rd of a bucket of barley to the pond every day. I am
>> sure they would eat all I gave to them!
> 
> That's a good sign. It's confirmation that the birds are relaxed and
> at ease with no problems from foxes. 


I have snares in the nearest "wildlife corridor" and have had a steady 
number of kills. I think this helps. Rather than spread the snares out, 
this year I concentrated on one small area and it seems to have paid off.

> 
> The earliest brood of mallard I have here are only just beginning to
> stretch their wings.  So I imagine it's just a shade too early yet
> to expect new birds from the current season to visit your pond. Most
> if not all of the birds coming to the feed will be drakes. But give it
> another fortnight or so and the numbers should begin to increase.


Good! I thought duck were early nesters and was beginning to despair, but 
that is reassuring.



>  I'm hand feeding five wild broods here just now, the youngest being
> just over a week old. She hatched twelve but we lost four today to
> sparrow hawks. Now that they've found them, there will shortly be none
> left. In the wild, the losses must be catastrophic.


Must be a sparrowhawks' nest not far away. I used to have a nest in the 
wood behind the house but they have not been back since they thinned the 
trees about five years ago. Being a falconer, I do not mind the 
sparrowhawks. The young birds should be leaving the nest about now.

> 
> By the way, I have some free Land Rover wheels if you want them. :-)


Great stuff! I can certainly use them! The LR is looking a bit smarter now 
as I have done a bit of spraying, though the new door is not yet on as I am 
reluctant to use something that has so far cost me 400 when the old one 
still keeps out the draughts!

I'll give you a ring. Is the fishing quieting down now?

Derry

> 

"Derry Argue"  wrote in message

Yes. The daytime numbers are remarkably stable. It does vary but seems to 
stay at around 16, then rise to 14 on occasion. But that number could not 
possibly get through 2/3rd of a bucket of barley a day, could they? I am 
pretty sure more come in at night.
Derry

Hello Derry,
Yes it's possible for 14 or 16 ducks to get through 2/3rd's of a bucketful 
of barley especially with the help of moorhens and coots etc if any are 
present.
Hopefully it is the ducks that are coming in at night as well, the only way 
to tell for sure is to visit the pond at dusk and just watch to see what 
happens. If you do find more visitors arriving it may be to your advantage 
to slot some more barley in the shallows towards dusk.
Regards
Dave